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Sunderbans
Mother
& Child : Mental Health Sunderbans
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Some 450 million people
worldwide currently suffer from some form of mental
disease or brain condition, but almost half the
countries in the world have no explicit mental
health policy and nearly a third have no programme
for coping with the rising tide of brain-related
disabilities. These findings were included in
a major report by the World Health Organisation
(WHO) released in October 2001.The report titled
Mental Health : New Understanding, New Hope, was
the culmination of a year-long effort that included
devoting World Health Day to the subject of mental
illness last April and the publication of a detailed
survey of the status of treatment of mental conditions
in developing countries.
The WHO also believes
“it is times for governments to make mental health
a priority and to allocate the resources, develop
the policies and implement the reforms needed
to address this urgent problems."
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Also,
neurological and psychiatric disorders constitute
an often unseen but growing problem in developing
countries, according to a report issued by the
Institute of Medicine (IOM), U.S.A. Brain disorders
are responsible for at least 27% of all years
lived with disability in developing countries.
When disability is taken into consideration along
with death, brain disorders comprise nearly 15%
of the burden of disease in developing countries.
Epilepsy, depression, bipolar disease, Schizophrenia,
developmental disorders and stroke are currently
estimated to affect as many as 1.5 billion people
worldwide – a number that is expected to grow
as life expectancy increases. Furthermore the
Stigma associated with many brain disorders such
as epilepsy, Schizophrenia and mental retardation
prevents people in developing countries from seeking
and receiving appropriate treatment. In addition,
it may result in the loss of social and educational
opportunities for both the sufferers and their
families.
In
the light of such reports and findings the National
Institute Of Behavioural Sciences (NIBS)
of Kolkata undertook an extensive survey of an
area in the Sundarbans covering 10,000 Square
Km of the Southern Ganges River Delta, and, this
marshy region stretches across both India and
Bangladesh down to the Bay of Bengal. Its small
indigenous populations regularly utilise such
resources as fish, honey and firewood, and has
worked hard to transform the forests into paddy
land that seem to have made the greatest impact
upon this rare urosystem. It is now a World Heritage
Site and a Biosphere Reserve.
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The women of
the Sunderbans play a very important role in their overall
lifestyle but despite this fact the women seem to be shrouded
in mystery. The story of the Sunderbans is older than that
of Bonobibi, the forest goddess who rules this land of mud
and water. Yet, with this powerful goddess at the heart of
the jungle, stories of human women are nearly non-existent.
The people of the Sunderbans also worship a four-armed goddess
of snakes named Manasa. Hence, though the people worship women
chronically they go nearly unperceived in both historical
and present day accounts.
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Demographic
accounts of women in the Sunderbans have them numbering
about 932 for every 1000 men. Although, they are central
to their communities and families they are never given
much prominence.
Living in the Sunderbans is dangerous – it requires
prayers to Bonobibi, humility and gratitude, ingenuity
and tolerance. Though the men’s lives have been documented
by anthropologists. The story of the Sunderbans women
remains nearly untold. In remaining past and current
accounts, the male woodcutters, fishermen and honey
collectors are those that are discussed, regardless
of the fact that the women contribute not only to domestic
chores but their families incomes. They work not only
taking care of household duties but often help the family
survive financially. The widows become the sole providers
for their families and take on the roles traditionally
taken by the men – wood cutting, honey collecting and
fishing.In spite of all this the women do not have the
power of the goddess – however possession by spirits
may be one way to exercise their power. The women’s
stories lie dormant to those outside their own worlds.
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Despite
the fact that the women share almost if not more of the
workload, they are never highlighted. They live a life
of continuous stress and turmoil and this naturally takes
its all on their physical and mental well being. Since
the women have to undertake both work outside the house
as well as indoors, their work output may be considered
more, but health care or proper food ingestion is not
directly proportionate to the labour they undergo. Even
during pregnancy due to poverty and possible financial
crisis developmental disabilities can arise from genetic
and nutritional factors, infatuations, diseases and traumatic
events which virtually go unrecognized in many third-World
countries. Ironically as many as 80% of the world’s children
are born in those countries, where nutritional deficiencies,
environmental toxins and perinatal complications are prevalent.
Poverty can also be both a cause and result of ill health
and may contribute to brain disorders through poor nutrition,
unhygienic living conditions and inadequate access to
health care. |
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In
the survey undertaken by NIBS, mental and behavioral
disorders were found to be common among the patients attending
the primary health care setting. This survey was done
because an assessment of the extent and pattern of such
disorders in these settings are useful to identify
individuals with disorders and providing the needed care
at that level . The most affected mentally were the women
compared to the men and majority of the children were
fund to be congenitally mentally retarded. Mental retardation
is considered to be a common disorder which usually causes
severe disability and factors abbreviated with the prevalence
and course of mental and behavioral disorders whichinclude
poverty, sex, age, conflicts and |
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disasters,
major physical disorders and the family and social environment.
The burden on families ranges from economic difficulties
to emotional reactions to the illness, the stress of coping
with disturbed behavior the disruption of household routine
and the restriction of social activities. Expenses for
the treatment of mental illness often are borne by the
family because mental disorders are not covered by insurance.
Hence, for the holistic approach , i.e. both physical
and mental well being of the women of Sunderbans the survey
was undertaken. Diagnosing and hence solving their problems
was one of the aims of this survey. Listening to their
dilemmas and conflicts results in ventilation and their
consequent alleviation, so that they live a healthy and
happy satisfied life with their families. |
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Despite the widespread effects of the disorders, with
proper treatment patients can live productive lives
and be vital parts of their communicates. According
to the WHO, the responsibility for action lies with
governments. Statistically, at present more than 33%
of countries allocate less than 1% of their health budgets
to mental health. The WHO has provided recommendations
that can be adopted by every country to help improve
mental health. The recommendation include providing
treatment in primary care; making psychotropic medicines
available, educating the public, establishing national
policies, programs and legislation, developing human
resources to improve training of mental health professionals,
and linking with other sectors such as education, labour,
welfare and law.
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